Mitsotakis Signs Bill to Cut Off Under-15s From Major Social Networks

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed legislation into law that prohibits children under the age of 15 from using major social media platforms. The Greek parliament approved the measure, making the country one of the first European Union members to enact such a legal restriction. The ban becomes effective on January 1, 2027, following an announcement by Mitsotakis earlier in the year.

The law targets services including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. It requires these platforms to implement age-verification methods that are both reliable and proportionate. Mitsotakis characterized the bill as difficult but necessary for the protection of young users.

Digital governance and AI minister Dimitris Papastergiou justified the national approach by arguing that waiting for a comprehensive European law was not an option. He stated that children are sinking into the internet daily and that a responsible government must act. Papastergiou noted that it would have been easy to do nothing and wait for a perfect European law, but the challenge is immediate.

Compliance will be enforced through the EU's Digital Services Act, which allows for fines against non-compliant companies. On the household level, parents must download state-backed applications named Kids Wallet or Gov.gr. These apps pair with a child's device to block access to the restricted services.

Papastergiou explained that the applications are designed to protect privacy by limiting data collection. The system uses age tokens to confirm a user's age while disclosing as little personal information as possible. Minority parties in the Greek parliament opposed the legislation, so Mitsotakis relied on his government's majority to pass the bill.

Greece previously banned mobile phones in schools in 2024. Opinion polls indicate that the new restriction enjoys broad support among Greek adults. Mitsotakis said his government aims to push the European Union in the same direction. The European Commission recently introduced the EU Kids Act, which calls for an outright ban only for children under 13.

Australia was the first country to enact a full social media ban for children. Implementing age verification in Australia has proven challenging, a difficulty that Greece's approach with state-backed apps will now have to address.